Loader attachments for tractors



Nov. 24, 1959 M. KRIEGER LOADER ATTACHMENTS FOR TRACTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 20, 1956 IN VEN TOR. $915652 Arm/ ir M. KRiEGER LOADER ATTACHMENTS FOR TRACTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 22 BY M United States Patent LOADER ATTACHMENTS FOR TRACTORS Manny Krieger, Johnstown, Colo.

Application April 20, 1956, Serial No. 579,479 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-131) This invention relates to a loader attachment for tractors and to a loader of the type known to the trade as an overshot loader.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple, light-weight, economical and highly efficient overshot loader attachment which can be quickly and easily applied to any desired tractor and which can be used to pick up a load forwardly of the tractor and elevate and discharge the load into a truck positioned rearwardly of the tractor.

Loaders of this type are used for loading earth, sand, gravel and the like. Such materials are exceedingly abrasive and exposed working parts of a loader are quickly damaged and worn away in use. Another object of this invention is to provide an overshot loader attachment in which the operating parts will be protected from the material being loaded so as to increase the longevity of the loader.

A further object is to design an overshot loader in which all of the usual frame and lever structures, such as A-frames, toggle levers, cranks, etc. are eliminated and to provide a loader which will lift a load with a gradually increasing velocity so as to create a throwing effect to facilitate unloading of the loader shovel or bucket.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing: 7

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved overshot loader;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the improved loader;

Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Fig.4 is a side view of an alternate arrangement of the improved loader attachment, designed more particularly for small tractors of the Ford type;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the loader of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, vertical, detail section, taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1, a conventional tractorof the Caterpillar type has been diagrammatically illustrated in single line to show the relation of the loader thereto. The tractor has been omitted in Fig. 2. Various elements of the tractor have been indicated by numeral as follows: tractor chassis 10, engine hood 11, wheels 12 and Caterpillar tread 13.

Tractors of the Caterpillar type are provided with longitudinally extending chassis members extending between and projecting outwardly beyond the wheels 12. To apply this invention to such a tractor, a side frame bar 14 is rigidly secured to the chassis member at each side of the tractor in any desired manner, such as by means of suitable attachment bolts 15. Each side frame member is provided with an upwardly extending bearing pedestal 16 adjacent its rear extremity. A stub hinge shaft 17 is supported by and projects horizontally outward from each bearing pedestal 16. The stub shafts 17 may be mounted and braced in any desired manner. As illustrated, the outer extremity of each stub shaft 17 is braced by means of an outboard bearing bracket 18 welded or otherwise secured to the adjacent side frame bar 14.

A bucket-lifting lever structure is hingedly mounted at its rear extremity on each of the stub shafts 17. Each of the bucket-lifting lever structures is formed from relatively heavy steel plates welded together to form an elongated hollow structure with two side plates, a 'top plate and an open bottom. Each side plate is cut to form an upwardly-extending, triangular box portion 19 and a forwardly extending lifting lever portion 22. Each top plate is bent to form an upwardly extending rear top portion 20 and a downwardly extending forward top portion 21, which follow the triangular shape of the box portions 19 of the side plates, and a forwardly extending portion which closes the top of the lever portions 22 of the side plates. The forward extremity of each of the lever portions 22 are fixedly braced from each other by means of a suitable structural cross brace 23.

A bucket hinge pin 24 is carried in the forward extremity of each leverstructure, the'two hinge pins 24 being in axial alignment with each other. The pins 24 support a loading bucket consisting of a bottom plate 25, an inclined back plate 26 and two end plates 27. The back plate 26 extends from the bottom plate 25 at an obtuse angle, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Suitable mounting bracket members 28 are secured to the back plate 26 for hingedly mounting the bucket on the pins 24.

The angular relation of the bucket about the axes of the hinge pins 24 is controlled through the medium of a suitable hydraulic cylinder 29, herein designated the bucket hydraulic, which is hingedly mounted at 30 on the cross brace member 23. The cylinder actuates a hydraulic plunger 31 connected to a plunger bracket 32 on the back plate 26 of the bucket. Hydraulic fluid under pressure is conducted to and from the bucket hydraulic in any conventional manner so that the angle of the bucket can be hydraulically controlled.

Two additional hydraulic cylinders which will be herein designated as the lifting hydraulics 33 are enclosed in the lifting lever structures. Each of the hydraulics 33 is pivotally mounted on a cylinder shaft 34 mounted on and projecting outwardly from the adjacent side frame bar 14. Each lifting hydraulic normally inclines forwardly from its shaft 34 and each is provided with a hydraulic plunger 35 which is connected to and terminates on a plunger pin 36 extending transversely through the apex portion of the lever structure. Hydraulic fluid is simultaneously conducted to and from each of the lifting hydraulics 33 from any suitable hydraulic pressure source controlled by any suitable hydraulic valve, as is customary in hydraulic systems.

It is desired to call attention to the relative positions of the stub shaft 17, the cylinder shaft 34 and the plunger pin 36. The cylinder shaft 34 is positioned below the level of the stub shaft 17 and in closer relation to the vertical plane of the stub shaft 17 than the vertical plane of the plunger pin 36. This relative arrangement of pivot points results in a gradual increase in the rate of lift of the bucket in consequence of a uniform advancement of the plunger 35. For instance, in atypical installation the bucket will be swung through an arc of approximately '12 for the initial 4" movement of the plunger, 13 for the second 4", 14 for the third 4", 16 for the fourth 4", 18 for the fifth 4", and 22 for the sixth 4". Thus, it can be seen that the bucket will move assist in dumping the load. It can be also seen that at the beginning of the lift when the leverage is the longest, the greatest lifting elfect will be obtained from the hydraulic.

Let us assume that the tractor is driven forwardly towards a pile of material to be loaded with the bucket in the lowered position of Fig. 1. This will force the bucket bottom plate into or beneath the pile of material so that the latter will fall against the back plate 26. Hydraulic fluid under pressure is now admitted to the lifting hydraulics 33 causing the plunger 35 to move forwardly and upwardly. This forward and upward movement is converted into an arcuate movement due to the pivots provided by the stub shafts 17. This causes the bucket to be elevated upwardly and rearwardly over the tractor 10 to an approximate vertical position, as indicated in broken line in Fig. 1. When in the latter position, the material rolls down the incline of the back plate 26 into a waiting truck or other receiver. The material can be maintained in the bucket and prevented from rolling down the back plate by permitting hydraulic fluid to enter the pressure bucket hydraulic 29 which will act to force the back plate 26 upwardly as shown in dash-dot lines in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 an alternate arrangement of the improved loader attachment is illustrated for attachment to pneumatically-wheeled farm tractors. In these figures the tractor has been omitted. The position, however, of the rear wheels of the tractor is indicated at 37, and the position of the forward wheels thereof is indicated in broken line at 38.

The alternate form of the improved loader employs the same basic principles as the previously described form and comprises two longitudinal frame beams 39 designed to be attached to opposite sides of the tractor in any desired manner. An outer plate 40 is supported in spaced relation to the outer face of the frame beams 39 in any desired manner, such as by means of channel spacers 41. A hollow, triangular lever box 42 is hingedly mounted between the beams 39 and the plate 40 at each side of the tractor upon a suitable hinge shaft 43.

A pair of tubular shovel arms 44 are welded to or otherwise attached to the forward portion of each box 42 and extend forwardly and downwardly therefrom. The lever arms 44 are fixedly secured together to form a rigid truss structure by means of suitable gusset plates 45 welded thereto. A cross member 46 extends between the forward extremities of the lever arms 44.

A bucket structure 47, similar to the bucket structure previously described, is hingedly mounted on the forward extremities of the lever arms 44 upon suitable hinge pins 48. A bucket-tilting hydraulic 49 is mounted between the bucket structure 47 and the cross member 46, similarly to the hydraulic 29 previously described.

A U-shaped saddle member 50 is swingingly mounted on a saddle pin 51, there being one of the saddle pins 51 extending between the frame beams 39 and the plate 40 at each side of the tractor. A hydraulic lifting cylinder 52 is seated in and affixed to each saddle member 50 to actuate a hydraulic plunger 53. The plungers 53 are mounted on plunger pins 54, one of which extends through the upper portion of each of the boxes 42.

It can be seen that if hydraulic fluid under pressure be admitted to the cylinders 52, the fluid will act to force the plungers 53 therefrom, thereby exerting a lifting action on the entire structure about the axis of the hinge pins 43 to swing the bucket structure 47 upwardly and rearwardly to the dumping position, as indicated in broken line in Fig. 4.

It will be noted the alternate form has all of the advantages of the previously described form, that is, it can be quickly and easily applied to a conventional tractor.

The hydraulic cylinder 50 and its plunger 53 are protected from foreign materials by the enclosure of the box 42 and act to provide a gradually increasing velocity or throwing effect on the shovel.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having this described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An overshot loader for tractors comprising: a side frame member arranged for attachment at each side of a tractor, said frame member comprising a beam for attachment to a tractor, a plate in spaced relation to said beam, spacing members disposed between said beam and said plate at the opposite ends thereof, a triangular open-bottomed box having an apex portion thereof pivotally supported in said side frame member, said box extending upwardly from said frame member and terminating in an apex portion, a pair of tubular shovel arms having adjacent vertically spaced ends secured to said box, means for pivoting said arms, the opposite ends of said arms being in contact and connected to the opposite ends of a cross member, and a bucket pivotally secured to said arms outwardly of said cross member.

2. An overshot loader for tractors as described in claim 1 having a plunger extending downwardly from a pivot adjacent the apex of each box and having a hydraulic cylinder pivotally suspended from the plate and the beam at each side of the tractor the cylinder pivots being positioned above the lower extremities of said hydraulic cylinders so that when the upper extremities of said hydraulic cylinders swing rearwardly, the lower extremities thereof will swing forwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,353,655 Day July 18, 1944 2,715,472 McEwen Aug. 16, 1955 2,732,963 Grubich Jan. 31, 1956 2,755,572 Pilch July 24, 1956 2,764,303 Austin Sept. 25, 1956 2,841,299 Gildner July 1, 1958 2,861,704 Kluckhorn Nov. 25, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 462,450 Canada Jan. 17, 1950 483,501 Canada May 27, 1952 1,025,035 France Jan. 21, 1953 

